The Meaning of John 8:55 Explained

John 8:55

KJV: Yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you: but I know him, and keep his saying.

YLT: and ye have not known Him, and I have known Him, and if I say that I have not known Him, I shall be like you -- speaking falsely; but I have known Him, and His word I keep;

Darby: And ye know him not; but I know him; and if I said, I know him not, I should be like you, a liar. But I know him, and I keep his word.

ASV: and ye have not known him: but I know him; and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be like unto you, a liar: but I know him, and keep his word.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Yet  ye have  not  known  him;  but  I  know  him:  and  if  I should say,  I know  him  not,  I shall be  a liar  like  unto you:  but  I know  him,  and  keep  his  saying. 

What does John 8:55 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Jesus next identified these superficial believers as unbelievers. They had not yet come to believe that He was God even though some of them thought that He was a crazy prophet. For Jesus to deny knowing God would be as much a lie as His critic"s claim to know God was. The proof that Jesus really did know God was His obedience to Him.
Jesus knew (Gr. oida) God inherently and intuitively, but His critics did not know (Gr. ginosko) God by experience or observation. We should not put too much emphasis on the differences between these two Greek words though, since John often used synonyms without much distinction. [1]

Context Summary

John 8:48-59 - The Eternal Christ
It is absolutely true that the Christian disciple does see death as the king of terrors or as a grim monster. Jesus has robbed death of its sting; He has destroyed Him that had the power of death. The moment of death is the moment of birth into a wider and happier existence. We are set free from this body of mortality and become possessed of the house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. The grave is the vestibule of Paradise. We know that the iron gate opens into the city of God. Absent from the body, we are present with the Lord. The moment of transition is so desirable that it is only comparable to the falling asleep of the tired laborer.
The Father glorified His Son by the attestation given at the Baptism and the Transfiguration, by the Resurrection from the grave, by the Exaltation to His right hand. Yet these are but stages in the glorification of our High Priest. The full outburst of His glory is yet future. We shall behold the glory with which the Father has rewarded His obedience unto death; nay, we are to share it with Him. See John 17:22; John 17:24. Notice the I AM of John 8:58. Compare Exodus 3:14. [source]

Chapter Summary: John 8

1  Jesus delivers the woman taken in adultery
12  He declares himself the light of the world, and justifies his doctrine;
31  promises freedom to those who believe;
33  answers the Jews who boasted of Abraham;
48  answers their reviling, by showing his authority and dignity;
59  and slips away from those who would stone him

Greek Commentary for John 8:55

And ye have not known him [και ουκ εγνωκατε αυτον]
Adversative use again of και — kai = “and yet.” Perfect active indicative of γινωσκω — ginōskō the verb for experiential knowledge. This was true of the κοσμος — kosmos (John 1:10; John 17:25) and of the hostile Jews (John 16:3). Jesus prays that the world may know (John 17:23) and the handful of disciples had come to know (John 17:25). But I know him Equipped by eternal fellowship to reveal the Father (1:1-18). This peculiar intimate knowledge Jesus had already claimed (John 7:29). Jesus used οιδα — oida (John 8:19; John 15:21) or γινωσκω — ginōskō (John 17:23, John 17:25) for the knowledge of the Father. No undue distinction can be drawn here. And if I should say Third-class condition (concession), “even if I say,” with και εαν — kai ean Apodosis of the condition. ομοιος — Homoios (like) is followed by the associative-instrumental case υμιν — humin The word πσευστης — pseustēs (liar), in spite of the statement that they are the children of the devil, the father of lying (John 8:44), comes with a sudden jolt because it is a direct charge. This word liar is not considered polite today in public speech when hurled at definite individuals. There is a rather free use of the word in 1 John 2:4, 1 John 2:22; 1 John 4:20; 1 John 5:10. It is not hard to imagine the quick anger of these Pharisees. [source]
Saying [λόγον]
Properly, word, as John 8:51. So Rev. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for John 8:55

John 7:28 And I am not come of myself [και απ εμαυτου ουκ εληλυτα]
Και — Kai here = “and yet.” Jesus repeats the claim of John 7:17 and also in John 5:30; John 8:28; John 12:49; John 14:10. Whom ye know not Jesus passes by a controversy over the piece of popular theology to point out their ignorance of God the Father who sent him. He tersely agrees that they know something of him. Jesus says of these Jews that they know not God as in John 8:19, John 8:55. [source]
John 7:29 I know him [εγω οιδα αυτον]
In contrast to the ignorance of these people. See the same words in John 8:55 and the same claim in John 17:25; Matthew 11:27; Luke 10:22 (the Johannine aerolite). “These three words contain the unique claim of Jesus, which is pressed all through the chapters of controversy with the Jews” (Bernard). Jesus is the Interpreter of God to men (John 1:18). And he sent me First aorist active indicative of αποστελλω — apostellō the very verb used of Jesus when he sent forth the twelve (Matthew 10:5) and used by Jesus again of himself in John 17:3. He is the Father‘s Apostle to men. [source]
John 8:19 Where is thy Father? [που εστιν ο πατηρ σου]
“The testimony of an unseen and unheard witness would not satisfy them” (Vincent). Bernard understands the Pharisees to see that Jesus claims God the Father as his second witness and so ask “where,” not “who” he is. Augustine has it: Patrem Christi carnaliter acceperunt, Christ‘s human father, as if the Pharisees were “misled perhaps by the Lord‘s use of αντρωπον — anthrōpon (John 8:17)” (Dods). Cyril even took it to be a coarse allusion to the birth of Jesus as a bastard according to the Talmud. Perhaps the Pharisees used the question with double entendre, even with all three ideas dancing in their hostile minds. Ye would know my Father also Conclusion of second-class condition determined as unfulfilled with αν — an and second perfect active of οιδα — oida used as imperfect in both condition and conclusion. See this same point made to Philip in John 14:9. In John 14:7 Jesus will use γινωσκω — ginōskō in the condition and οιδα — oida in the conclusion. The ignorance of the Pharisees about Jesus proves it and is due to their ignorance of the Father. See this point more fully stated in John 5:36-38 when Jesus had his previous controversy in Jerusalem. In John 7:28 Jesus said that they knew his home in Nazareth, but he denied then that they knew the Father who sent him. Jesus will again on this occasion (John 8:55) deny their knowledge of the Father. Later he will deny their knowledge of the Father and of the Son (John 16:3). The Pharisees are silenced for the moment. [source]
John 8:51 If a man keep my word [εαν τις τον εμον λογον τηρησηι]
Condition of third class with εαν — ean and constative aorist active subjunctive of τηρεω — tēreō Repeated in John 8:52. See John 8:43 about hearing the word of Christ. Common phrase in John (John 8:51, John 8:52, John 8:55; John 14:23, John 14:24; John 15:20; John 17:6; 1 John 2:5). Probably the same idea as keeping the commands of Christ (John 14:21). He shall never see death Spiritual death, of course. Strong double negative ου μη — ou mē with first aorist active subjunctive of τεωρεω — theōreō The phrase “see death” is a Hebraism (Psalm 89:48) and occurs with ιδειν — idein (see) in Luke 2:26; Hebrews 11:5. No essential difference meant between οραω — horaō and τεωρεω — theōreō See John 14:23 for the blessed fellowship the Father and the Son have with the one who keeps Christ‘s word. [source]
2 Thessalonians 1:8 On them that know not God - obey not the gospel [τοῖς μὴ εἰδόσι θεὸν - τοῖς μὴ ὑπακούουσιν τῷ εὐγγελίῳ]
To know God is to know him as the one, true God as distinguished from false gods; to know his will, his holiness, his hatred of sin, and his saving intent toward mankind. Two words are used of such knowledge, εἰδέναι and γινώσκειν . Both are applied to the heathen and to Christians, and both are used of the Jews' knowledge of God. Ἑιδέναι , of heathen, Galatians 4:8; 1 Thessalonians 4:5; 2 Thessalonians 1:8. Γινώσκειν of heathen, Romans 1:21; 1 Corinthians 1:21. Ἑιδέναι , of Christ and Christians, John 7:29, John 8:19, John 8:55; John 14:7. Γινώσκειν of Christ and Christians, Galatians 4:9; 1 John 2:13, 1 John 2:14; 1 John 4:6, 1 John 4:7, 1 John 4:8; John 10:15; John 17:3. In John, γινώσκειν of Jews who do not know the Father, John 16:3; John 8:55: εἰδέναι , John 7:28; John 8:19; John 15:21. The two are combined, John 1:26; John 7:27; John 8:55; 2 Corinthians 5:16. A distinction is asserted between γινώσκειν as knowledge grounded in personal experience, apprehension of external impressions - and εἰδέμαι purely mental perception in contrast with conjecture or knowledge derived from others. There are doubtless passages which bear out this distinction (see on John 2:24), but it is impossible to carry it rigidly through the N.T. In the two classes, - those who know not God and those who obey not the gospel, - it is not probable that Paul has in mind a distinction between Jews and Gentiles. The Jews were not ignorant of God, yet they are described by John as not knowing him. The Gentiles are described by Paul as knowing God, but as refusing to glorify him as God (Romans 1:21). Paul rather describes here the subjects of God's judgment as one class, but under different aspects. [source]

What do the individual words in John 8:55 mean?

And not you have known Him I however know And if I say that I know I will be like you a liar But Him the word of Him I keep
καὶ οὐκ ἐγνώκατε αὐτόν ἐγὼ δὲ οἶδα κἂν εἴπω ὅτι οἶδα ἔσομαι ὅμοιος ὑμῖν ψεύστης ἀλλὰ αὐτὸν τὸν λόγον αὐτοῦ τηρῶ

ἐγνώκατε  you  have  known 
Parse: Verb, Perfect Indicative Active, 2nd Person Plural
Root: γινώσκω  
Sense: to learn to know, come to know, get a knowledge of perceive, feel.
δὲ  however 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: δέ  
Sense: but, moreover, and, etc.
οἶδα  know 
Parse: Verb, Perfect Indicative Active, 1st Person Singular
Root: οἶδα  
Sense: to see.
κἂν  And  if 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: κἄν  
Sense: and if.
εἴπω  I  say 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Subjunctive Active, 1st Person Singular
Root: λέγω  
Sense: to speak, say.
ὅτι  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: ὅτι  
Sense: that, because, since.
οἶδα  I  know 
Parse: Verb, Perfect Indicative Active, 1st Person Singular
Root: οἶδα  
Sense: to see.
ἔσομαι  I  will  be 
Parse: Verb, Future Indicative Middle, 1st Person Singular
Root: εἰμί  
Sense: to be, to exist, to happen, to be present.
ὅμοιος  like 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ὅμοιος  
Sense: like, similar, resembling.
ψεύστης  a  liar 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ψεύστης  
Sense: a liar.
λόγον  word 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: λόγος  
Sense: of speech.
αὐτοῦ  of  Him 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
τηρῶ  I  keep 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 1st Person Singular
Root: τηρέω  
Sense: to attend to carefully, take care of.